City Council to consider landmark designation for Webb family home

City Council to consider landmark designation for Webb family home

Published on June 19, 2026

DENVER - The home of two transformative Denver leaders could become the city's newest historic landmark following a City Council vote this Monday, June 22. Landmark Preservation staff from Denver Community Planning and Development (CPD) will present the owner-supported designation application for the home of the Honorable Wilma J. Webb and Mayor Wellington E. Webb at 2339 N. Gaylord St. as part of a public hearing.

City Council Public Hearing
5:30 p.m., Monday, June 22

• Watch online on Denver8.tv
• Visit the City Council website for information on how to participate in the hearing

"Few people have left their mark on a city like Wilma and Wellington Webb," said Mayor Mike Johnston. "We see their impact wherever we go, from the parks where families gather to the annual Marade to the downtown we know today. The Webbs are more than deserving of this honor, and it is my hope that a new generation of Denverites uses this moment to not only learn their story, but learn what it means to truly love a place and have it love you in return."

"Our buildings help tell the story of our city," said Community Planning and Development Executive Director Brad Buchanan. "The Webb family has had an indelible impact on Denver, so it is only right that we recognize their home as a special place in that story. I'm grateful to our Landmark Preservation team for their work shepherding this application through the designation process to make this Denver's newest landmark."

"Historic Denver is proud to honor Wilma and Wellington Webb's legacy through the landmark designation of their home," said John Deffenbaugh, president and CEO of Historic Denver. "Our city's history comes alive in the buildings where we live, work and gather. The Webbs' classic Denver Square hosted conversations that continue to influence our city and state. Preserving places like this connects Denver's past with its future."

The designation application was submitted by Historic Denver with the support of the Webb family and previously approved by the Landmark Preservation Commission on Tuesday, May 5. View the designation application, staff report and more on the Landmark Preservation webpage.

The Webb House served as an important place of political planning, community gathering, and civic leadership during decades in which both played transformative roles in expanding opportunity and representation in Denver and Colorado. From this home, Wellington Webb's path to becoming Denver's first African American mayor and Wilma Webb's leadership in civil rights legislation and the establishment of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday helped shape the city's civic life and identity. Beginning with the Webbs' purchase of the home in 1971, the property was a place where the couple made political decisions, formed alliances, and established a legacy of community leadership.

From this home, the Webbs helped advance long-standing community efforts for fair representation, educational opportunity, and equitable access to public resources-continuing work rooted in earlier civil rights activism in northeast Denver. Their presence in Whittier itself reflected the hard-won gains of the civil rights movement, as African American families moved east to purchase homes outside the historic Five Points core. The Webb House stands as a physical representation of their lasting contributions to Colorado and to the broader national civic landscape.

The house was constructed during a period of rapid residential development along the Gaylord Street corridor and surrounding blocks, and the presence of similarly scaled and stylistically related houses reflects coordinated neighborhood growth during this period. The house is a well-preserved example of a Foursquare residence with Classical Revival details, with more decorative detailing than many of the nearby Foursquares.

Other Recent Landmark Applications

In addition to the Webb home, the Federal Garage Buildings at 2100 California St. and 2101 Welton St. will also go before City Council for a vote and hearing on Monday, June 22. The Federal Garage Buildings are significant for their role in public transportation in Colorado as the country shifted from a reliance on rail transportation to road vehicles as means of transport. In the 1920s, as rail ridership declined, local railroads developed bus companies to provide service between Denver, Colorado Springs and Pueblo. These garages provided buses with a home base and maintenance location. As two of the few remaining industrial buildings in Arapahoe Square, the garages also illustrate the evolution of the Five Points neighborhood.

At a June 1 meeting, City Council approved the landmark designation of the Harris-Cousins House at 3535 E 26th Ave. Pkwy. Landmark Preservation staff from CPD presented the owner-supported designation application as part of a public hearing. The property is significant for two prominent Black families in Denver: Nora and Frank Harris and Dorothy and Charles R. Cousins. Mr. Harris was Denver's first recognized Black landscape designer. Nora Harris was a claims department manager at the American Woodmen Association and on the board of directors of the Denver's National Association for the Advancement of Colored People chapter. Mr. Cousins was an entrepreneur and real estate developer within Denver's Black community. His wife Dorothy was his partner in those endeavors and according to their daughter Renee, "much of the success he [Charles] attained in business would not have been possible without Dorothy's conscientious assistance."

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BUILDING COMMUNITY: Denver Community Planning and Development (CPD) is responsible for visionary city planning and ensuring safe, responsible, sustainable building. We're working hard to make Denver a great place to live, work and play! Visit DenverGov.org/CPD.

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